(Community Matters) Ironic that passage of CA’s Prop 8 may speed up the realization of marriage for same sex couples nationally?

(Community Matters) Mostly off the grid today. Preparing for an Entrepreneurs Foundation board meeting and a strategic planning retreat tomorrow. We’ve been operating off a plan adopted in 2005. We’ve done well against plan and time to reassess where we are going.

Regrettably, missed today’s Reflections and Dialogue on Philanthropy in Central Texas hosted by the Austin Community Foundation, Seton Family of Hospitals, I Live Here/I Give Here, Wells Fargo Bank, CommuniCard and Wells Fargo Bank. Sessions were led by Ken Gladish, Sylvia Acevedo, Matt Kouri and Peter Frumpkin and included Patsy Woods Martin, David Balch, David Porter, Daniel Harris, Greg Hartman, Katherine Brewer & Sue Carpenter. Amanda went in my place and says it was outstanding.

Yesterday, I hosted a meeting for the planning team for the upcoming ADL Stakeholder’s Meeting. Judy Waxman, Judy Berkow and I are chairing the Jan 22 event. Lisa Goodgame and Marcia Levy have done most of the work.

Regrettably no additional information on the inauguration yet. Promise I am mindful of those who have asked and will let them know what I learn from the Obama campaign as soon as the information is available.

(Community Matters) Her beau Steve Moore asked friends for digital pics wishing Katie happy birthday.

(Community Matters) This is strange. Almost three weeks ago, Chase phoned me that my credit card had been “compromised,” so they’d cancelled and reissued. The reissued card was delayed and never arrived. After Chicago, since it hadn’t arrived, they Fed Exed a new card, which I received on Friday. When I called to activate the card yesterday (I kept forgetting), I went through an unusually long vetting process, answering questions about previous addresses, employers, etc. I asked security what was up, they wouldn’t say. I asked them to explain what compromised the card, they couldn’t say, only that it must have been either 1) a merchant reported an employee stealing card numbers or 2) the police finding the card number.

Today, I went online to check if the card information had transferred as promised. No big surprise it didn’t (still not sure how to import, etc); however, the strangest thing: my address has been changed on my online profile. And, it is changed to c/o a dear friend, with their address. I called this friend to ask if any difficulties with their credit cards. Yep, they had an unexplained decline last week. The only connection we could find – that friend made contributions to Obama online and entered my name as the person responsible. Well, this doesn’t explain anything since they didn’t use my card number – except that, of course, I’d independently used my card to make online contributions.

Still figuring this out. Strange.

(Community Matters) I know it’s strange, weird and paranoid. Can’t help it. Everytime I receive a blackberry CNN Breaking News notice, I cringe just a little bit, praying it isn’t any bad news about President-elect Obama.

(Community Matters) Sad passing of Mrs. Bryant, St. James oldest parishioner. Pleased we celebrated her 98th birthday at church recently.

(Community Matters) Brewster McCracken announced his race for mayor last night at the home of Laura & Steve Beuerlein. Impressive group of folks attending including Martha Smiley (campaign treasurer), Anne Wynne, Jack McDonald, Council member Sheryl Cole, BJ Stanberry, August Harris, Peggy Pickle, Anita Benevidez Mennucci, Rick Triplett, JJ Baskin, Paul Bury, Celia Israel, Tom Terkel, Elyse Yates and Albert Black.

BJ Stanberry runs Helio Volt and has been collaborating with Brewster and Isaac Barchas from UT’s Austin Technology Incubator on their Pecan Street Project. This project imagines the reinvention of the electric service delivery system, the creation of a new grid which provides for the efficient transmission of locally produced clean energy – especially solar, and also wind. To date Austin Energy, the City of Austin, UT (ATI & Advanced Computing Center) and the Environmental Defense Fund are partners. They are currently recruiting corporate partners and hope to include Google, GE, Dell, Cisco and others.

Brewster appropriately framed our challenge the next two decades, how to ensure the forward economic development momentum needed to make necessary quality of life infrastructure investments (rail, affordable housing, other transportation, education, the arts . . . ) and providing upwardly mobile economic opportunities for Austinites. I like that he’s researched and learned from our economic development initiatives in the 80’s and 90’s which created Austin’s high tech growth and wants to channel the best of that toward growth in clean energy and bio tech industries.

(Community Matters) She claims to realize Barack Obama has been elected, even acknowledging the mandate for change, but she actually advocates no change, same old broken GOP ways. here

Democrats need to find our own, real agent of change to run for governor, someone as committed to a new way of doing business and who will excite new and Democratic voters as electrically as president-elect Obama. If we’re to keep making progress turning Texas blue, our gubernatorial candidate must also be a post baby-boomer who excites 20-somethings as much as triple Ds and who signals inclusion in government.

(Community Matters) Frankly, I’d like none of that. Nunn heading Obama’s defense transition. disappointing

(Community Matters) . . . . is making less and less sense. Odds of survival without bankruptcy are so small. Why would we bailout existing shareholders? We need to offer post-bankruptcy loan guarantees instead.

(Community Matters) Honoring all who have served

Moreno Valley Veterans Memorial

(Community Matters) Patagonia downtown? Rats, can I sneak in just under the wire of our new, frugal lifestyle?